Volunteer & Internships

Enthusiastic volunteers are vital to Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art; they complement, support, and expand our successful, wide-ranging programs and events. Reciprocally, the Museum strives to provide people of all ages and backgrounds with an interesting and rewarding learning experience.

Docents

As an integral part of the Museum’s educational program, volunteer docents lead interactive tours for groups of all ages. Giving their time and expertise, docents provide visitors an opportunity to reflect upon, discuss, and even to question the meaning of an artwork, creating a lasting relationship with modern and contemporary art.

New docents complete an initial training course held in weekly sessions, which provide docents with the skills necessary to facilitate meaningful discussion of the Museum’s special exhibitions and Permanent Collection. New docents are expected to attend all training sessions; shadow at least three guided tours led by an active docent; read assigned articles; and research, plan, and lead a tour on a work of art in the Permanent Collection.

Volunteers

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for every age and skill set. Your generous support is vital to sustaining the mission of the Museum to provide world-class art and educational programs completely free of charge. Listed below are a few areas Kemper Museum has volunteers assist with:

Internships

Opportunities are available for in-depth, hands-on training within the following departments:

Administration: This department manages the Museum’s fiscal activity, shop and café sales revenue, facility maintenance, security, and human resources. Projects could include analyzing year-end statistics, cash flow, monthly expenses, revenue over time, and assisting with the development of the MIp accounting software.

Curatorial: This department researches, organizes, and writes interpretative materials for special and permanent collection exhibitions. Projects could include researching artists and related topics, requesting information from galleries and artists, writing didactic materials, developing and maintaining artist files, preparing correspondence, and attending to general office duties. (Graduate students preferred.)

Development: This department researches, solicits, and fosters donors, grants, corporate partnerships, and members. Projects could include researching new funding sources, assisting with the development of the Raiser’s Edge software system, and preparing mass mailings.

Education: This department organizes and facilitates workshops, performances, discussions, and in-gallery materials to enhance visitors’ appreciation and understanding of art. Projects could include researching and writing educational materials, organizing an event, and developing docent files.

Registration: This department cares for the Permanent Collection and organizes the shipping, insurance, and crating for special exhibitions. Projects could include conducting artwork condition reports, working in the institutional archive, assisting with the development of the collections management database, and preparing correspondence. For more information about registration internships, please contact the Chief Registrar at aphillips@kemperart.org.

Special Events: This department manages the rental of the Museum’s facilities for corporate events, meetings, wedddings, and receptions. Projects could include researching and soliciting possible clients, preparing contracts, giving on-site support at events, and preparing correspondence.

Internships are typically three to four months long and a minimum of eight hours per week (an exact schedule will be determined by the intern and departmental supervisor). Internships are unpaid but course credit can be arranged with the intern’s educational institution.

Please mail your resumé, two letters of recommendation, and a cover letter, which includes your departmental preference and availability to: